An Introduction to Variola Virus
Variola virus is the virus that causes
smallpox. Variola virus is a double-stranded DNA virus in the family
Poxviridae and the genus
Orthopoxvirus.
Variola virus only infects humans, which is the main reason why this virus was able to be eradicated.
Variola virus infections were described in Asia during the first century, in Europe and Africa around 700 A.D., and in Central, South, and North America during the 16th and 17th centuries.
According to some health experts, variola virus infections are responsible for more deaths than all other infectious diseases combined over the centuries.
Thanks to the success of a worldwide vaccination program, smallpox has been eradicated. The last naturally occurring case in the world was in Somalia in 1977. In 1980, the World Health Organization officially said that smallpox was wiped out worldwide, and no cases of naturally occurring smallpox have happened since.
After variola virus was eliminated from the world, routine vaccination against smallpox among the general public was stopped because it was no longer necessary for prevention.
Transmitting the Variola Virus
Variola virus transmission can happen in one of several ways:
- Face-to-face contact
- Direct contact with infected fluids and contaminated objects
- Through the air.
When variola virus enters the body, it spreads within the bloodstream to small blood vessels in the skin. After 7-17 days,
smallpox symptoms will begin.
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